This Is Guernsey

By Nick Mann

Former House Committee chairman Dan Le Cheminant. (0323995)

MOST islanders support island-wide voting, according to an exclusive survey for the Guernsey Press. Conducted by islandopinion.com, it revealed that most people were unhappy with the current system of voting for deputies on a district basis.

It showed  that 61% wanted to be able to vote for all 45 deputies, while just 33% were against it.  There was also support for an island-wide chief minister election – 59% in favour and 34% against.

Investigations are under way into how an island-wide voting system could operate, but there have been consistent concerns that it would be too unwieldy to vote for the whole House at once.

The House Committee is in charge of the investigation.

Its former chairman, Deputy Dan Le Cheminant, was not surprised by the survey results.

‘I’m in favour of some form of island-wide system and would like to see it for those who aspire to be ministers or chairmen,’ he said. ‘I’d like to see those people prepared to put themselves forward before an island-wide electorate to have an island-wide mandate.’

He added that in the first island-wide conseiller election, the right people got the top jobs.

‘I think it’s nice to know you have the support of the people not just in the district you represent but from the whole of the island – that they have the confidence in you to say, “I think you would be very good as a minister or chairman”, and to have that mandate.’

But it appears islanders were not as keen on such a voting system to elect the top bench.

Only 33% supported island-wide voting for the Policy Council, with 51% against and 16% with no real view.

The results also came out against having a group of about 10 States members, elected on an island-wide basis – 48% were against, 30% were in favour and 22% had no real view.

Deputy Le Cheminant also wanted to see another radical change in government – abolishing the post of chief minister in favour of a minister for external affairs and policy who would head a department on equal footing to other ministers.